A Land of Big Dreamers

Gr 3—6—Waldman has chosen 13 Americans whose words and actions have brought them to the forefront of the fight for equality and justice in this country. From Thomas Jefferson's writing of the Declaration of Independence to Rachel Carson and her landmark research on environmental degradation, these individuals have proven to be inspirational to the world. Others included are Cesar Chavez and his work with migrant farm workers, Frederick Douglass's passionate fight for the abolition of slavery, and Sitting Bull's attempts to make peace between the Sioux and the whites. Most of the choices are predictable, with the possible exception of Emma Lazarus and her poem on the Statue of Liberty. The annotations are fairly brief with additional biographical information included at the end of the book. The text is organized chronologically and highlighted by words taken from speeches or personal writings from a given year, so Rosa Parks's entry at 1990 was initially baffling, but her autobiography was published that year. Still, it might be confusing for students who consider her part of the early Civil Rights Movement. The accompanying watercolor portraits of the individuals are attractive but generally static, offering little in the way of further information or visual interest. Jane B. Zalben's Paths to Peace (Dutton, 2006) offers more depth on several of the same individuals.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA